The Night that She Forgot
by mandzipop
Summary: During Elena's transition she remembers the times Damon compelled her. However one compulsion feels more than familiar. Every night since Klaus returned to Mystic Falls, Elena would dream about a motel and arguing with Damon. Elena is shocked when the dream is revealed as a night of passion she asked Damon to compel her to forget until the time was right. Rated M for sexual content
1. In The Beginning It Was His Decision

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to The Vampire Diaries, TV show or books. However I decided to have a little play around with the characters (I would definitely like to play with Damon).**

 **So this is a short little fic. Probably no more than four short chapters. I suddenly had the inspiration for this chapter during the early hours of the morning and needed to get it written.**

 **Hopefully the next chapter of Inaction's and Consequences should be out tomorrow and chapter 29 of Elena's Fantasy Diaries in a few days.**

 **This chapter will seem very familiar as it starts directly from 4x01, however there have been a few small amendments. Its purpose is to set the scene. You'll understand why by the end of the chapter. The story is not set in season 4.**

 **Rated M for future smut (although not this chapter).**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

Elena could feel herself waking up to what seemed like a bright light shining into her room, even though her eyes were still closed. She could hear noise of church bells ringing in the background, along with the sound of sirens, and what she thought was a lawnmower, rang out loudly in her ears. Elena couldn't understand what was going on, everything seemed so loud. She opened her eyes and took a huge gasp of air, only then realizing she must have been holding her breath, which strangely scared her and made her scramble desperately to sit up in her own bed, confused as to what was going on. As she had suspected, she could make out it was daylight and Stefan was sitting on the end of her bed, watching her.

"Stefan?" Elena asked as she began to hyperventilate, feeling scared, while she tried work out what was going on as she knew something wasn't quite right.

"Hey. I'm right here." Stefan said softly. "You've been in and out for hours." he assured her, rubbing her hand.

"Wha...what happened?" Elena asked.

Stefan lowered his eyes. "You were in an accident." he told her.

Suddenly memories started flooding back from what had happened. "Oh my God. Matt is he...?" Elena began to panic as she remembered Stefan swimming away with Matt in his arms.

"Alive?" Damon interrupted in an angry sounding voice, of which Elena had never heard before. This was the first time she'd noticed his presence since she woke up. Elena and Stefan looked over at him as he sat scowling on the window seat. "Ask Stefan. The hero." he added bitterly.

Elena looked back at Stefan, worry etched all over her face. "He's fine." Stefan reassured her.

"Thank you." Elena sighed a sigh of relief. " I thought that I..." she started knowing something was wrong. "How did you...?" she frowned with confusion as realization hit her, that whatever was wrong, it was very bad, she could tell from angry expression on Damon's face.

"Save you?" Damon snapped bitterly. "He didn't." he snarled.

"When Jeremy brought you to the hospital before all this happened, your injuries were worse than anyone knew." Stefan quickly explained. "Meredith Fell made a choice, she used Damon's blood to heal you." he continued.

"And when Rebekah ran Matt's truck off the road, you had vampire blood in your system, Elena." Damon sighed as if waiting for Elena to connect the dots, which didn't take long.

Elena's face fell and tears began to well up in her eyes. The one thing she'd never wanted to happen was coming to fruition. "Oh my God. Does...does that mean that I...am I dead?" she asked, looking back and forth between Stefan and Damon, but neither of them answered her. Instead Stefan just lowered his eyes. Their deafening silence told her all she needed to know. "No, no, no, no! That wasn't supposed to happen!" Elena cried as she began to panic.

"Maybe it doesn't have to." Stefan tried to reassure her. "I talked to Bonnie, she says she's stronger than ever, there might be something that she can do to help you." he said quickly.

"No, the only thing that's going to help is for you to feed and complete the transition." Damon's shook his head, his voice laced with frustration.

"We have all day before she has to feed, Damon." Stefan argued back. "That's a day to exhaust every possible way out of this."

"There is no way out of it." Damon snapped. "We all know the drill. You feed or you die. There is no door number three." he spat.

Elena began to cry. "I was ready to die. I was supposed to die. I don't...I don't want to be...I can't be a vampire!" she sobbed. "If there's something that Bonnie can do we have to try." she begged.

"We will. We'll try everything" Stefan's voice was soft as Damon scoffed and rolled his eyes at Stefan's attempt to give Elena hope, even though deep down she knew Damon was right.

"Your choice, Elena. As always." Damon said bitterly as he held his hands up in mock surrender before getting up to leave her and Stefan alone. Stefan looked at Elena who was still was still crying, however she wanted to be on her own for a moment to allow herself to digest the information and deal with it in her own way. Elena nodded for Stefan to go talk to Damon so she could be alone to take in the devastating development. He smiled sadly before getting up to follow Damon.

Elena lowered her head, she wanted to cry, but she knew she had to be strong. She could hear Damon and Stefan arguing downstairs, much louder than before. All she wanted to do was tune the noise out, she hated it when they argued, especially about her. She closed her eyes and put her head in her hands and took a deep breath, maybe if she concentrated hard enough, the sounds would go away.

Eventually the sound of Damon and Stefan's voices disappeared. She sighed with relief, either she'd tuned them out or they'd stopped fighting. Whichever way, she didn't care as long as she got some peace. Elena removed her hands from her face and opened her eyes, but something wasn't right. Elena wasn't in her bedroom, instead she was on a road close to the woods near Wickery Bridge. This was the spot where she met her parents the night their car crashed into the water. Elena looked around her, confused as to what was going on, when suddenly she heard a voice coming from behind her. More importantly, it was her own voice.

Elena turned around to see herself on her cell phone talking to someone. Judging by what she was wearing, Elena realized this was her remembering the night her parents died, although why she'd suddenly remember that night seemed off. Confused as to why she was there, Elena decided to stay and watch to see what happened. She wondered if there was there something she'd forgotten about that night which she needed to remember. Maybe it would help her keep her humanity if she did have to transition.

"I know Bonnie, you're right." Elena watched herself say. "You and my mom both are. I just can't bring myself to tell him. At least not tonight. I'll call you later." she told her friend before hanging up.

Suddenly out of nowhere came another voice she recognized, yet this memory was unfamiliar. "Katherine." Damon called out. Elena whipped her head around to check she wasn't imagining things, but there Damon stood in his black leather jacket looking utterly baffled.

"No.. um... I" Elena watched her old self look behind her to make sure he wasn't talking to anyone else. "I'm Elena." she said, pointing at herself.

Elena was now confused. She had no recollection of Damon being there that night, so why would she be imagining it? Was this a dream or had they met first and he'd compelled her to forget? Elena remembered she was in transition, and any memories she'd been compelled to forget would return to her during this time. Surely Damon would never betray her trust like that, although admittedly this Damon didn't know Elena, so he had no reason to not compel her. Then she wondered why he'd never told her about this meeting ever since. They'd obviously met before Stefan had even laid eyes upon her. He'd not even admitted it while he was meant to be dying. Curious as to why Damon wouldn't reveal this secret, Elena turned her attention to the scene unfolding in front of her.

"Oh, you... you just look...I'm sorry, you just really remind me of someone." Damon narrowed his eyes at Elena. "I'm Damon." he smiled as he introduced himself.

"Not to be rude or anything, Damon, but it's kind of creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere." Elena looked at him skeptically.

"You're one to talk. You're out here all by yourself." Damon smirked.

"It's Mystic Falls. Nothing bad ever happens here." she rolled her eyes and shrugged, which led to an awkward silence between the two of them. Interestingly, she could see her younger self was already comfortable around him, and clearly wanted to continue talking, as if to keep him around. "Got into a fight with my boyfriend." the younger Elena volunteered.

"About what? May I ask." Damon asked, holding his hands up, letting her know he was just being polite.

"Life, future, he's got it all mapped out." Elena sighed as she walked towards him.

"And you don't want it?" Damon narrowed his eyes.

"I don't know what I want." Elena shrugged.

"Well, that's not true. You want what everybody wants." Damon smiled.

"What, mysterious stranger who has all the answers?" she asked. The way she said it and her entire body language shocked Elena. Now she understood why Damon had always believed there was more to her feelings than she let on. At this point in time she'd never met Stefan and she was young and carefree. Damon had seen the real Elena, and that girl was making it very clear how attracted to Damon she was. But that wasn't all, she could see they had an automatic connection, the pull she sometimes felt when she was with him was there even on their first meeting.

"Hmm, well, let's just say I've been around a long time. I've learned a few things." Damon cocked his head and smirked.

"So, Damon, tell me. What is it that I want?" Elena asked, expectantly as Damon moved closer towards her.

"You want a love that consumes you." Damon said softly. "You want passion, an adventure, and even a little danger." he smiled.

Elena frowned at his words, wondering how he'd managed to read her so well in such a short period of time. She also reflected on the irony of his choice of words, especially when he said 'A love that consumes.' She remembered telling Matt before the accident how Damon consumed her as opposed to Stefan who was what love should be about.

Elena was brought out of her thoughts when she heard her younger self ask."So, what do you want?"

Damon's face looked startled as if nobody had ever bothered to ask him that before. Looking back, Elena realized that at this point in his life, nobody ever really cared to ask what Damon wanted. His family, and especially Katherine, which was why Damon must have established out in those few short minutes they were alone together, what had taken Stefan four months to figure out. Elena was nothing like Katherine, they only looked the same.

Damon was still trying to think of an answer when Elena's heard the honk of a horn from an oncoming car.

Elena turned around. "It's my parents." she smiled as Damon moved even closer to her just as she turned back to face him.

"I want you to get everything that you're looking for." Damon compelled her. "But right now I want you to forget that this happened. Can't have people knowing that I'm in town yet." he smirked. "Goodnight, Elena." he said softly before disappearing.

Elena was suddenly back in her bedroom, she sat down on the edge of her bed speechless. She understood why Damon had compelled her. Had she have not looked like Katherine, he would have killed her. For the first time in her life, her appearance had saved her life. However, Elena was more than a little pissed he'd never mentioned it before. She decided she'd confront him about it later. Right now, she didn't have the energy. Elena got up from her bed and began to look at herself in the mirror, wondering if she looked any different. She took deep breaths pulled mouth back to check her teeth to see if they had sprouted fangs. She could feel there was something in her gums, similar to when her adult teeth were growing. Elena could feel they were just ready to push through her gums, a sensation she wasn't looking forward to.

Elena had already established her hearing had intensified, so much that she could hear the electricity running through a lightbulb. She looked down at it, annoyed with the sound it was making. She wondered if it was possible to tune sound out if she completed the transition or whether she would eventually get used to it and learn how to pick and choose what she could hear. Suddenly, she saw Jeremy in the doorway, and immediately walked over to him.

"Jer!" Elena cried as they wrapped their arms around one another.

"Are you okay?" Jeremy asked. "I watched Vicki go through this, she was a mess. Her emotions were all over the place. All these old memories came flooding back." he said.

Elena glanced over towards the noisy lightbulb, before turning back to face Jeremy. "I'm fine. I'm not Vicki." she said.

"No, you're not. You're you." Jeremy frowned. "You act like everything's okay so no one worries about you but you need help."

Elena glanced over at the lightbulb once more, the noise was getting beyond irritating. "I said I'm fine, okay?" Elena snapped, before realizing she was proving him he was right. "I...I'm sorry, I...Have you talked to Bonnie?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, she said when I was shot; she made some plea to the witch spirits to bring me back and they listened." Jeremy told her.

"Yeah, but the consequences were horrible." Elena frowned.

"And what could be more horrible than you turning into a vampire?" Jeremy asked. "I need my sister, not another one of them."

"We're gonna find a way out of this." Elena reassured him. "Everything's gonna be okay." she smiled.

"I hope so." Jeremy smiled sadly and left Elena alone in her room. The instant he was gone, she turns around and looked straight at the lamp housing the lightbulb which had been distracting her. She walked straight over towards it, pulled off the lampshade and crushed the lightbulb in her hand, finally destroying the buzzing noise which had been driving her crazy over the last few minutes.

"Elena." Elena heard Stefan's voice call from downstairs.

"Yeah." she replied.

"Would you like something to eat?" Stefan asked. "I can make you a sandwich." he suggested.

"A sandwich is good." Elena replied with a smile. "I'll get dressed." she said.

Five minutes later Elena was sat with Stefan in the kitchen, attempting to eat a sandwich he'd carefully prepared for her. Unfortunately the sandwich didn't taste like it should.

"It's disgusting." Stefan remarked.

"No it's, um..." Elena tried to speak with a full mouth without trying to be sick. In truth, the sandwich tasted like sawdust.

"It's disgusting." Stefan said again.

"Yeah, I'm gonna puke." Elena admitted as she spat out the sandwich into a napkin. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but I can't stop thinking about blood." she frowned.

"I should have saved you first." Stefan shook his head. "You shouldn't be going through this right now." he sighed, guilt written all over his face.

"No, if you had saved me, then Matt would be dead. What do you think I'd be going through then?" Elena insisted as Stefan poured himself a drink and took a sip. Elena got up and walked over to him, she needed to make him realize she was happy he saved matt instead of her. "Stefan, listen to me. You did the right thing. You did what you always do; you respected my choice." Elena told him.

"And what am I supposed to do if Bonnie can't figure out a way to help you, huh?" Stefan asked. "Because then you have another choice to make. Either let yourself die or be a vampire." he huffed.

"Well then, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Elena said, before frowning at her comment. Then she suddenly she began to laugh. "Oh my God, did...did I just say "cross that bridge"?" she continued laughing.

"You're laughing." Stefan rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure you don't actually think that's funny." he said.

Elena's laughing was becoming uncontrollable. "I...I can't stop though." she frowned, beginning to get worried as to what was happening to her.

"Your emotions are a bit heightened today." Stefan said. "A lot heightened." he corrected himself as Elena continued to laugh, however soon the laughter turned to tears and then she started to cry. Stefan wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. "Hey. Shh, shh. It's okay. It's okay." he said.

"I'm sorry. I..." Elena stopped, not knowing what to say.

Stefan pulled away and gently caressed her face. "Listen to me." Stefan said softly. "No matter what happens, I'm here for you. I can help you." he assured her as Elena looked out the window and squinted her eyes as the brightness of the sunlight was beginning to hurt them.

"Why don't you go back upstairs where it's dark? I'll clean up." Stefan suggested.

Elena nodded at his idea and walked away towards the stairs, constantly shielding her eyes from the sun, until she got upstairs which was free of sunlight. As she walked down the hall and towards her room, she spotted Damon sitting on her window seat, staring straight ahead.

"I thought you left?" Elena frowned, however Damon continued staring towards her bathroom door.

"Cute PJs!" Damon said as Elena looks down at her clothes, and frowned. She noticed the window behind Damon was dark, suggesting it was nighttime. A sense of dread washed over her as she began to wonder if this was another compulsion breaking through. Elena's suspicions were indeed heightened when she heard herself speaking from the bathroom. She looked back and saw herself emerging from the bathroom. Intrigued as to what Damon had forced her to forget this time, she simply decided to watch as the scene unfolded.

"I'm tired, Damon." Elena groaned as Damon got up and walked over to the other version of Elena and held up her old necklace.

"I brought you this." Damon told her.

"I thought that was gone. Thank you." Elena smiled wearily.

Elena continues to watch the scene unfold as the other version of her attempted to take the necklace from Damon but he pulled it back. Suddenly, she was alone in her room, and the sun was shining through the window. Elena gasped in shock and looked around the room, confused. As she turned her head and the memory resumed and Damon was stood in front of her, facing the other version of herself.

"I just have to say something." Damon swallowed.

"Why do you have to say it with my necklace?" Elena asked suspiciously.

"Because what I'm about to say is probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life." Damon admitted.

"Damon, don't go there." Elena pleaded.

"No, I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it." Damon shook his head. "I love you, Elena. And it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this? I don't deserve you, but my brother does." he said as he kissed Elena on the forehead. "God, I wish you didn't have to forget this. But you do." he stared into her eyes compelling Elena to forget.

Suddenly the memory ended and the sun was shining brightly into her room once more. Elena touched her neck and looks down to where her necklace usually sat. She remembered there was once a time when she'd lost her necklace and it had reappeared. It was after she'd been kidnapped by Rose. Elena had never worked out exactly how she'd gotten it back, and never thought to question it.

Elena decided she needed some time alone and some privacy, just in case any more memories came flooding back. She locked her bedroom door and closed her curtains before sitting down on her bed. She didn't know what to think at the discovery of being compelled to forget parts of her life, twice by the person she trusted most in the world to be honest with her. Elena felt betrayed, although she could see why he'd done what he'd done.

Elena put her head in her hands and sighed, wondering if a shower would help. But as she sat up, her entire world had changed once more, and she was no longer in her bedroom. Instead it was once again nighttime and she was in Damon's car. Elena was sitting in the car. But instead of watching herself looking through the window of the passenger seat, she was sat touching her necklace while she waited for Damon to get in. Her face was solemn and judging from the dress she was wearing, she knew the exact night this had taken place. This was the time they'd tried to bring Stefan back from Chicago. Elena wondered what he'd compelled her to forget this time, and why this time she was experiencing the compulsion firsthand instead of watching it as a third party.

Damon climbed into the the car. "You okay?" he asked, his face full of concern.

"Just drive." Elena replied as they set off. For some absurd reason, she knew exactly what to say. After they'd been on the road for about ten minutes Elena decided to speak. "I don't want to go home. Not tonight." she said feebly.

"What do you want to do?" Damon asked.

"I need time out." Elena replied. "Five minutes away from my life. My problems will still be there when I get back, but it will be nice to just take a little break." she said.

Damon thought for a moment. "I could get a couple of rooms for us at a motel somewhere." he suggested. "Find a bar and get really, really drunk. Is that your idea of five minutes away?" he asked.

"It sounds perfect." Elena smiled a small smile. "But get a twin room. I'd prefer it if you're close by. I feel safer that way." she added shyly as Damon nodded in understanding.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Damon frowned.

"I think we both could do with some time out." Elena replied.

"Fine, lets see what fun we can find and mischief we can make." Damon agreed as they started to look for a motel.

 **Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. They are always appreciated.**

 **If you like the story, please like, follow or review. Reviews inspire me, correct my mistakes, allow me to engage and answer questions. They also help motivate me to get the following chapters out quicker. But most of all, I love to hear from you.**

 **Mandzipop.**


	2. It Was My Idea

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to The Vampire Diaries, TV show or books. However I decided to have a little play around with the characters (I would definitely like to play with Damon).**

 **I hope you enjoy this little chapter.**

They continued driving until they made it to Indianapolis. Damon figured he wanted to put as much room between Klaus and Elena as possible, and as long as Klaus didn't know where Elena was, they were safe. If anything they were safer in a motel in Indianapolis than they were in Mystic Falls. However, firstly they had to make a quick visit to the local hospital to grab a few extra blood bags for Damon. They carried on for another ten minutes before Damon turned off the I-65 and headed towards a neon motel sign stating it had vacancies. Damon pulled up in the parking lot and got out of the car, followed by Elena.

"I'm quite capable of getting us a room by myself Elena." Damon said through gritted teeth. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Look Damon, I know you." Elena grabbed Damon by the arm. "I'm not the only one upset about what happened tonight. You are too." she said quietly. "I just want to make sure you don't take it out on the person at reception if they tell you they only have one unsuitable room left." she said.

"I'm fine Elena." Damon rolled his eyes. "I'm more concerned about your safety right now. How much my brother has or has not pissed me off is not even relevant." he said. "The last thing I want to do is draw attention to vampires right now while you are with me. Klaus is too much of a threat. Snatch, eat, erase at this motel, is not even an option right now, no matter how much I want it." he glared at her.

"Fine." Elena folded her arms. "So let me come with you." she said. "I'm safer while you are around me." she smirked.

"Okay Elena, you win." Damon grimaced as they walked over to the office.

Behind the desk sat a middle aged man, with a dark mustache, a shiny bald head and a thickening midriff. He wore a tight fitting t-shirt, which in a previous lifetime was white, but had been washed until it had turned gray. As Elena got closer to the man, she wished he'd washed it more recently as she could smell the sweat on him. He eyed Damon and Elena wearily as they walked over to him, before putting on a fake smile.

"What can I do for you folks?" the man behind the desk asked.

"We'd like a room." Damon told him. "Two beds." he added.

The man glanced between Damon and Elena, and raised an eyebrow before searching through a little box of key cards.

"Last one." he said as he pulled one of the cards out and handed it over to Damon, who pulled out a wad of cash.

"Is that the best room you've got?" Damon compelled him.

"No." the man replied blankly.

"Are you charging me for the best room?" Damon asked.

"Yes." the man replied.

"Then give me the best room you have with two double beds." Damon told him, as the man rummaged through the box once more and brought out a different key card.

"That'll be fifty two dollars." he added, looking at the notes in Damon's hand before glancing up at Damon, and handing over the new key card.

"I want you to forget you ever saw us." Damon compelled the man. "You let the room out to two middle aged women. Tomorrow I want you to go through the video footage, and every time you see our faces, I want you to destroy what you see." he said.

"I will forget I ever saw you." the man replied blankly. "I will destroy all video footage I find of you." he said.

"Good." Damon smiled and tapped the man twice on the cheek. "Have a nice evening." he grinned as he and Elena turned and left the office with the key to the room.

Once they stepped outside Elena turned to Damon. "Was that even necessary?" she asked angrily.

"Of course it was." Damon told her. "It won't take long for Klaus to find out you're alive. We don't need him knowing where we are." he shrugged.

"Won't he just do a locator spell?" Elena asked. "No amount of video erasing is going to hide from one of those." she said.

"I think he needs something of yours to do that." Damon frowned. "And as Stefan just called it off, he doesn't count."

"Thank you for reminding me." she said as she stormed over to the car.

"This was your idea." Damon shook his head as he caught up with her and opened the trunk. "Remember, time out for five minutes with copious amounts of alcohol." he said, gathering up their bags and closing the trunk. "This is what you want. But in order to have the five minute time out, we need to cover our tracks. I'm just trying to protect you, which is why I don't get why you're so wound up about me compelling him. I didn't hurt him." he shook his head. "If anything he was trying to overcharge me." Damon frowned, looking at Elena as if she'd gone crazy.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Elena sighed as they reached their room. "I'm just uptight, that's all." she said.

"I know." Damon said softly, as he slipped the card into the slot in the door, which made a clicking noise, before opening it. "Ladies first." he said, gesturing for Elena to go inside.

Elena flipped the light switch and the room lit up. It was basic, decorated with what seemed like a 1970's décor of orange and brown. However, at least it looked and smelled clean. They placed their bags on the floor and Elena made her way over to the tiny bathroom. It was a plain white suite, with white tiles, not too dissimilar to her own bathroom at home, which she shared with Jeremy. It had a bath with a white shower curtain, a toilet, a sink and vanity unit with an attached light. All in all, it was small, plain, clean and simple.

She headed back to the bedroom where Damon had begun unpacking their clothes and hanging them up in the closet. He stopped and looked at Elena, who was still wearing the purple dress he'd gotten her for her showdown with Stefan and frowned.

"That dress is cute." he said. "But cute won't cut it where we're going."

"Which is?" Elena raised an eyebrow.

"There's a club nearby." Damon told her.

"I won't..." Elena started but shook her head as she realized Damon would just compel her in. "Never mind." she sighed. "So, what do you suggest I wear?" she asked, folding her arms.

"The denim skirt was fine." he said as he rummaged through her bag, pulling out a pair of black pumps. "They'll do." he added, before pulling out a little black tank top. "Perfect." he grinned.

"Okay." Elena sighed as she was about to turn around when Damon began to unbutton his shirt. "Um, why do you need to change?" she frowned.

"Can you believe Klaus ruined my shirt with a cocktail umbrella?" he complained as he threw it over a chair.

Elena tried her best not to gawp at his naked torso, but she was unsuccessful, and Damon caught her. However as soon as he saw her looking, Elena turned away. "I'm going to change." she huffed and went to the bathroom to change.

Once inside she added a little more make-up, but not too much as she didn't want to resemble Katherine. As she got changed, she couldn't shake the mental image of a half naked Damon from her mind. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him like that, but it was the first time it had affected her like this. Heat pooled between her legs, but she knew she had to ignore it. Nothing could ever happen between her and Damon. He was too volatile, too dangerous. Yet, she couldn't deny she was insanely attracted to him. That was when Elena realized it was going to be a long and difficult night ahead.

Once they were ready and Damon had finished off a couple of blood bags, they set out for the remainder of the evening. Just two blocks away was a nightclub which fortunately served food, because Elena was starving. As Elena expected, Damon compelled them to the front of the queue and they were immediately let in without Elena's age being questioned. Damon managed to find them a booth to sit so they could eat and drink without being interrupted. Elena had a burger with potato skins which was just about edible, however nightclubs weren't particular noted for their fine cuisine. Their main purpose being there was to drink and to dance.

Damon had started them off slowly and bought in a round of beers. But once Elena had finished her potato skins, she wanted to get onto something a little stronger. Damon brought a bottle of bourbon over to the table, but Elena couldn't stand the taste. Therefore Damon resorted to the next option, something from his experience he knew Elena did like, tequila.

All the while they continued to talk about absolutely nothing in particular. Elena was fully aware Damon's plan was to take her mind off the fact that she'd just been unceremoniously dumped in favor of a murderous feeding spree with a hybrid who'd just recently caused the deaths of her remaining family. But nonetheless it was still hard to hear it. Elena knew Stefan was doing it to save her, but it still hurt.

So while Stefan was busy helping her by physically protecting her from Klaus, in an unconventional role reversal, it was up to Damon to keep her from crumbling on an emotional level. So as the alcohol started to go down, Elena decided to become bolder and ask Damon some more personal questions than she'd usually dare ask.

"So, why do you like to dance?" Elena asked.

"Because it's fun." Damon replied.

"There's more to it than that." Elena frowned. "Stefan hates it, but you love it. Why?" she asked.

Damon sighed. "Okay, truthfully." he raised an eyebrow as Elena nodded. "I think it is down to how old we were when we turned." he explained. "Stefan was seventeen and barely out of diapers, whereas I was twenty five and had been a soldier. Back then, dancing meant something more than just a good time. It was a way to get closer to a woman. Stefan hadn't had the time to fully appreciate the benefits of dancing, whereas I had." he smirked.

"It was a way to get into a girl's panties?" Elena giggled.

"Yes and no." Damon admitted. "Those of the social standing I was expected to court, weren't allowed to spend time alone with me, so dancing was our only opportunity to get close. But in all honesty, if I wanted anything more, those ladies weren't exactly the type to be wanting a different variety of a good time." he lowered his eyes.

"So who... how?" Elena frowned, however Damon interrupted her.

"I wouldn't go there Elena." Damon shook his head. "Life was different back then. That's all you need to know." he said.

"So Katherine wasn't your first?" Elena asked.

"She was the first woman I fell in love with." Damon corrected her. "But no, she wasn't my first." he shook his head and smirked. "Okay, let me just explain something, although you should know this by now. When we turn, we change, but not by that much. Our personalities become somewhat...heightened." he tried to explain.

Elena thought for a minute. "So you were still a ruthless killing machine, who drank a lot of bourbon and slept with lots of women." she said, swallowing at the thought of the final part of her assessment.

"I was a soldier, so yes, I had blood on my hands." Damon told her. "But no, I wasn't someone who relished in the death of others." he said. "I actually preferred wine, but I was never immune to the charms of a pretty girl." he smirked. "Which is why I wasn't already married off. I wasn't ready to settle down until I met Katherine. I was deemed as someone who had what could be described a loose morals." he explained.

"Oh." Elena replied, surprised by his honesty. She'd never really discussed what he was like as a human. He'd once told her she would have liked him, but he didn't sound like someone she would have liked. Clearly this was written all over her face as Damon opted to speak next.

"You're wondering why I thought you'd have liked me as a human." Damon smirked. "Let's just say today's definition of loose morals is not the same as the 1864 version. Even I would have been shocked and scandalized back then by how even the relatively more innocent of today's society behave." he explained. "I was young, naive and innocent back then." he lowered his eyes for a moment before he gave her a mischievous look. "It took decades to perfect the ruthless monster in front of you who lives for the kill, the feed, and to drink, dance and fuck." he grinned devilishly.

"Damon!" Elena glared at him, he never swore in front of her.

"Time out remember." Damon reminded her. "What happens on the road, stays on the road. Nobody here knows us. We don't have to be who people expect us to be back in Mystic Falls. We are taking the time to relax and be our true selves. And before you say it, I can tell you put an act on." Damon eyed her. "Your friends have expectations of you, so you have to live up to them." he said.

"What makes you say that?" Elena frowned.

"Atlanta." Damon said. "You let your metaphorical hair down and had fun remember? I have never seen that girl make an appearance since. Shame, because I quite liked her, she was fun." he winked.

"You think that's the real me?" Elena frowned.

"No." Damon shook his head. "I think that's a part of you which you keep hidden, just in case your friends disapprove. But if you ask me, they can't be true friends if they did. Blondie wouldn't think twice about acting that way. So why do you have to be so serious all of the time?" he asked.

Elena sighed. "I guess ever since my parents died, I've had more and more responsibility thrown at me." she told him. "I can't just let the people I love get hurt. Having fun has to be put on hold. But you're right." she nodded. "I am worried about what people will think of me." she admitted.

"Well, I happen to like the fun you." Damon grinned. "You do know I won't judge. Like I said before, what happens on the road stays on the road. Bad language and all." he winked. "But just promise me you'll take some of my blood for your hangover later. After everything we've done so far to keep you alive, I don't want you to die of alcohol poisoning." he frowned.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Okay." she agreed. "As long as you drive safely." she insisted.

"You really think I'd do anything to hurt my car?" Damon looked offended.

"Point taken." Elena nodded in agreement, as they both were silent for a moment. Now the alcohol was making Elena bolder, she decided to ask a question she'd never dare broach before. "Why did you let Katherine feed from you when you were human?" she asked nervously.

"Why do you think?" he replied with a smirk on his face.

"Oh." Elena simply said, as she realized he was implying there was some kind of sexual response when a vampire fed from a human. Up until that point, she hadn't experienced any sexual reaction to being bitten, but in truth she'd never been bitten in a sexual way. Every time had been an attack on her. Therefore Elena had to assume a vampire making it a sexual experience for a human had to be done intentionally. Which then begged the next question. "So if it feels good for a human when it's done a certain way." she started hesitantly. "Is it normal feeding for a vampire, or is it something else?" she asked, not wanting to say the words out loud.

"Oh I think you already know the answer to that Elena." Damon replied seductively, confirming her suspicions as to why vampires might want to feed during sex. "We are inherently selfish creatures by nature. We enjoy getting as good as we give." he added in such a way it sent shivers down Elena's spine. After that, Elena went quiet for a while, not knowing what else to say.

Once they'd had enough of drinking and talking, they decided to hit the dance floor. Elena wasn't stupid, she knew she'd need to keep an eye on Damon otherwise he'd find someone to feed from. He'd basically made his position clear; here he was free from the Mystic Falls judgment crowd, where he had to keep himself in check. He promised her he wouldn't kill anyone, but Elena couldn't exactly stop him. Plus Elena had her own agenda. The pain of Stefan's rejection had hurt, and right now she had a need to feel free, which was exactly the same as what Damon was doing, except the consequences were slightly different. Elena also knew it would probably do Damon some good to let him blow off some steam, so Elena decided it was time for her not to judge, but just let him be himself. If anything, him feeding would disgust her and hopefully take her mind off the earlier image of him half naked and making her feel things she knew she shouldn't.

They got up and walked over to the darkened area, where people were dancing to music Elena didn't particularly know, which seemed to consist of a heavy base, but was perfect to dance to. Strobe lighting randomly flashed over the crowd, momentarily lighting up their faces in sync with the beat of the the song. The people seemed completely oblivious to anything other than the music they were dancing to.

Elena noticed Damon wasn't phased at all by their surroundings. It occurred to her that for large parts of his existence, this would have been the perfect hunting ground for him. A dark room, loud music. Nobody would hear a scream, or notice if a girl left the dance floor to make out with a hot guy. Questions wouldn't be asked when she either returned feeling spaced out by blood loss, as her friends would have put it down to alcohol or drugs. They probably wouldn't even notice if the girl went missing. Nobody would think to look for her at first as they'd have assumed she'd have left to spend the night with the hot guy. By the time her friends and family had realized she was missing, Damon would be long gone and the girl would be buried in an unmarked shallow grave, never to be seen again.

After a moment, Elena realized that this wasn't just Damon's life. It was the life of a normal vampire. Stefan wouldn't have been able to do this because he had no self control when he fed on humans. Damon on the other hand was self control personified, even if nobody ever noticed. Damon only killed when he wanted or needed to. And tonight, death wasn't on the menu. Therefore Elena was prepared for Damon to disappear every now and again with a pretty girl. Elena tried her hardest to not let that upset her, but she couldn't help it. Tonight she needed Damon's undivided attention. But this had been her suggestion, so instead, she'd need to find a hot guy to dance with while Damon was busy with his food.

Elena had to think of Damon and any girls he would spend time with, other than her, as food, otherwise it hurt too much. As far as she was concerned, they were walking blood bags. Her thought process shocked her. Elena was usually a girl with high morality and lots of compassion. She should be disgusted by her train of thought. But if she saw it any other way, she'd probably end up in tears, as it would be the second time in one night she'd feel like she'd experienced some form of rejection. And that would render the entire point of this little jaunt pointless.

At first Damon danced with Elena. Their bodies swaying to the beat, but keeping a little bit of distance between them. Elena knew this was for the best, because she knew dancing too close to Damon had the potential to be a recipe for trouble. After a short while something, or someone caught Damon's eye and he began to edge away from her. Elena watched with interest as he sidled up to a scantily clad, pretty girl who looked at him as if she'd won the lottery. They danced together provocatively, Damon clearly using his good looks and charm instead of compulsion on the girl. Elena tried to look away as a pang of jealousy hit her. For some absurd reason, Elena had begun to to feel quite possessive towards Damon. The love he'd demonstrated for her made her think he belonged to her, even if she constantly blew him off. The way Damon's hands roamed the body of the girl he was dancing with, made it clear she didn't have exclusive rights to him. Even if she did try to remind herself that as far as Damon was concerned, the girl he was with was simply a walking blood bag.

When Damon next glanced up at Elena, she saw his fangs elongate and the veins appear around his eyes, which had changed color. He lowered his head to the girl's neck and began to feed. Contrary to her expectations, Elena didn't feel disgusted with Damon's actions. Instead she felt oddly turned on. However, the sense of jealousy was still coursing through her veins, as deep down she wished it was her he was feeding from. Especially now, after finding out what effect feeding could have on a human.

Frustrated with how she felt, Elena looked around as she decided she needed a distraction of her own. Nearby she noticed a guy dancing, who seemed quite cute. He wasn't in Stefan or Damon's league, but Elena thought it would be enough for her. She moved over to where he was and they began to dance together. Finally Elena felt liberated. Dancing with a stranger, who didn't know her, wouldn't judge her and didn't care whether or not she was a doppelganger, was enough to make her feel free for the first time since she found out about her link to Katherine.

Initially everything was fine as she danced with the cute guy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and their bodies moved a little closer. However this was as far as Elena wanted to go with it. She just hoped he didn't get any ideas about taking it any further. He ran his hand down Elena's back when he suddenly looked up and let her go, as he momentarily looked terrified, before turning around and dancing elsewhere. Elena didn't need to be a genius to work out what had happened. She knew immediately that Damon was stood right behind her. She recognized his scent. Elena turned around to face him and scowled. She lifted her chin defiantly and stormed away from the dance floor as Damon stood there at first, clearly surprised by her reaction before he followed her.

Fortunately the dance floor had become more crowded, and Elena managed to get back to their booth much quicker than Damon. In that time she'd managed to pour and drink three shots of tequila, which she needed for the courage to face Damon.

"What the hell was that all about?" Damon demanded.

"I'd like to ask you the same question." Elena scowled as she poured herself another shot and knocked it back in one before slamming the shot glass on the table. "You left me, so I decided to have a little fun. I thought that's what we were here for, remember. Or does that only apply to you?" she folded her arms.

"I was feeding!" Damon narrowed an eye at her. "I could see you at all times. How do you know that guy wasn't working for Klaus?" he asked.

"Klaus thinks I'm dead!" Elena argued back. "Right now, nobody is looking for me." she said.

"Fine." Damon nodded. "If a vampire working for Klaus doesn't think you're Elena Gilbert, then who else would he think you are?" he asked.

"Oh." Elena said, realizing what Damon meant.

"And that is exactly the type of thing _she_ would do on a dance floor." Damon continued. "Remember, I'm not the only vampire to have discovered clubs are some of the best hunting grounds for a vampire."

"Well, what do you expect me to do while you're feeding?" Elena asked.

"I won't be feeding again." Damon shook his head and sighed before holding his hand out to her. "I'll dance with you instead." he said as Elena looked down at the his gesture.

Elena hesitated for a minute before taking accepting the invitation and taking his hand. The moment she did a jolt of electricity ran through her body. She looked up at Damon who momentarily frowned with surprise, confirming he'd clearly felt it too, before his features returned to their normal impassive expression. Elena's heart began to thump wildly as he led her out to the dance floor.

The room was even more packed since they'd been away, even though they'd only been gone for a few minutes. So when they started to dance together, they were pushed a lot closer together than they had previously been. In fact, as the music continued, they were practically flush up against one another. However, Elena no longer cared. The four shots of tequila she'd just drank in quick succession were going to her head a little, and her confidence was beginning to rise. Deciding she had nothing to lose, she wrapped her arms around Damon's neck and continued to dance. If he questioned it, she could always claim it was because she didn't want to lose him in the crowd of people. In all honesty, she just wanted an excuse to be physically connected to him.

This need to feel connected to Damon was something new and unfamiliar to her. If she were to be honest with herself, ever since the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, she'd found Damon incredibly attractive. But it had never made her want to touch him, and feel connected to him. Damon looked at her surprise, but didn't say anything. Instead he wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her in closer to him.

Elena leaned her head into Damon's chest and was suddenly surrounded by his scent. Heat pooled between her thighs as the thought of him being naked invaded her mind once more. She was beginning to hate being in the middle of a dance floor. She wanted Damon all to herself, although she was confused as to the specific reason why. Elena knew his presence was turning her on, but why he was having such an effect on her now was baffling her. It wasn't as if he'd suddenly grown more attractive within the last twenty four hours. Instead the only changes were her new found singledom, alcohol making her bolder, and nobody to judge her on her actions. There was one other piece to the equation though, however Elena wasn't sure how much it was influencing her, but at that moment, she realized she hadn't had sex for four months. It was a possible explanation as to why she was feeling so horny, but not why Damon was the only one who seemed to be having this effect on her.

Wanting to know if she was having the same effect on Damon as he was on her, Elena pushed her hips closer to Damon's, trying to find out if she were turning him on or not. Just as she expected, she could feel a bulge growing under his jeans. Elena looked up at him and smiled. At that moment he looked dark, dangerous, beautiful, sexy and sinful. He was everything a woman should run from. But instead, he simply drew Elena in like a moth to a flame. Damon looked back at her intently. At first heat flashed through his eyes, however they soon filled with trepidation.

"Elena, I really think you need to stop that. You're playing with fire." he warned her.

"Oh come on." Elena smiled. "You know you want to." she hiccuped.

"Okay, you're drunk." Damon nodded. "Time to go home." he said as they made their way off the dance floor.

"I hope you mean the motel and not Mystic Falls." Elena said as they reached their booth. "We're on time out remember."

"Back to the motel, I promise." Damon agreed as they gathered their things.

"Don't forget the alcohol." Elena giggled. "Remember, you're sobering me up, so it doesn't matter if I drink some more." she said as Damon picked up the bottles of bourbon and tequila.

"Fine." Damon sighed. "You win." he said as they left the club.

It didn't take them long to get back to their motel. It was only two blocks away and was easily reachable on foot; although it took twice as long to get back as Elena's walking abilities had somewhat deteriorated with the consumption of alcohol. Once they were back, Damon placed the bottles of alcohol on the dresser as they kicked their shoes off. Elena closed in on Damon and pressed her body up against his.

"Kiss me." Elena smiled.

"I don't think you want this." Damon shook his head.

"You don't know me very well then do you?" Elena argued back.

"Oh I know you well enough Elena." Damon looked at her intently. "I have vampire senses, I know exactly what you want right now." he whispered in her ear. "Every part of it."

"Then why not?" Elena pouted.

"Because your body and mind don't want the same thing." Damon said sadly. "My brother just broke your heart. And I'm not saying that you'll never want this with me. But right now, your motives are wrong. You're drunk and on the rebound. Tomorrow you'll regret it and won't want to speak to me again. You're vulnerable and I don't want to take advantage of you." he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "And it is now official, Damon Salvatore has completely lost his manhood in favor of doing the right thing." he sighed.

"Well then, sober me up and ask me again!" Elena told him.

"Elena..." Damon glared at her, but he could tell she wasn't going to back down. "Fine!" he growled as he bit his wrist and held it to Elena's mouth.

She took the blood in, noticing it didn't taste like it usually did. Instead all she could taste was Damon himself. Elena frowned at the difference, it was something she couldn't explain and was too afraid to ask. Especially as it began to work immediately; she could feel herself sobering up by the second. However, her sobriety didn't seem to affect how her body was reacting to Damon. If anything, drinking his blood had made matters worse. Elena wanted more than just a kiss. She wanted him in ways she'd never have considered in her life with any man. Not even Stefan. Elena's eyes refocused and she took a deep breath; Damon needed to know she still meant every word.

"Nothing has changed." Elena told him.

"Maybe not now." Damon shook his head. "But you're thinking with your hormones and a broken heart. You'll still regret it tomorrow." he said.

"Then compel it away." Elena suggested, removing her necklace as Damon looked at her in horror. "I'll feel better, even if I don't know why." she said as she removed her necklace and put it on the nightstand. "We're taking time out remember." she said as she unfastened a button on Damon's shirt. "What happens on the road, stays on the road. This way, it can stay there without causing any problems." she added seductively.

Damon grabbed her hand to stop her from going any further with his shirt. "I've done some seriously shitty things in life Elena. But do you really think I'm that much of a masochist?" he asked.

"I think we both want the same thing." Elena told him.

"You're wrong Elena." Damon closed his eyes. "I don't just want to sleep with you. I thought you knew me better than that." his voice was laced with frustration.

"Well maybe I want more too." Elena begged.

Damon shook his head. "Not right now you don't. You'd never forgive me."

"It's my idea Damon." Elena told him. "I'd forgive you." she said. "It might not be right now, but someday it will be. Compel me to forget until then." she suggested.

"I can't Elena." Damon closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Tears pricked Elena's eyes when she realized there was nothing she could do to change his mind. "Fine." she swallowed, as the tears fell faster. "But the least you can do is compel me to forget what a fucking idiot I've just made of myself." she cried as she stormed over to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

Elena took deep breaths as she tried to regain some semblance of dignity. She looked down at herself and realized she was covered in his scent. Her clothes and make-up were a cruel reminder of a perfect night at a club, which had turned into an unmitigated disaster. She turned the shower on, stripped her clothes off and stepped in behind the curtain and under the spray of hot water to wash away this nightmare.

Suddenly Elena was back in her bedroom. She rubbed her face in shock, as she realized she'd come on to Damon. She'd even gone as far as suggesting they have sex and tried to make him compel away her memory. She frowned in confusion. They'd obviously not had sex, but Damon must have still compelled her to forget the evening, probably to save her blushes like she'd asked. Elena sighed, she guessed at least this time he'd had a good reason to compel her, and she understood his motives. However, now she had the memory back, she was a little embarrassed by her drunken and not so drunken, wanton behavior. On the other hand, half of her wished he'd gone ahead with her request, just to find out what a night with Damon would have been like.

Deciding she needed to clear her head, Elena got undressed, picked up a towel and padded into the bathroom. She set the shower going, untied her hair and hung up the towel on the hook. By the time she'd finished, the water was nice and hot. Elena opened the curtain and stepped inside. She closed her eyes and let the water fall over her face, before pressing her hands against the white tiles. She lowered her head and let the spray of the water fall onto her neck, hoping for it to help her relax. Suddenly she heard the bathroom door open and the shower curtain rustled, however she stood perfectly, gripped with fear. She sensed someone stepping into the shower behind her. Confused, she wondered if it were Stefan, but he'd never do something like this without asking permission first.

Elena felt her hair being pushed to one side as a man's body pressed up behind her. His lips peppered kisses up the side of her neck, sending heat pooling between her legs as she sensed who it was. His scent was unmistakable. Elena opened her eyes and she realized she was back in the motel bathroom. Yet there was something familiar about this scene, she'd dreamed about it before, except she'd never been able to identify the man in her dream, because before she couldn't smell him. It had been part of a sequence of dreams which had been haunting her for the last few weeks. It had become her favorite dream as it was sexual and romantic at the same time. Yet she was confused, because if this had actually happened, and Damon had compelled away her memories; then how come she'd been dreaming about this exact night practically ever since?

Elena's confusion didn't last long as she became distracted by Damon's strong hands making their way around her waist. She took in his scent, which was heady and seductive, which only fueled her desire for him even further. She could feel his ever growing erection poking into her back, turning her on even more. Elena leaned her head back against Damon's shoulder and tipped it to the side, exposing her neck to him to give him access. She felt one of his hands make it's way to her breast, where he began to pinch her nipple, with just enough force to be pleasurable but with a twinge of pain.

Damon's other hand made its way down to her nub, which he gently began to massage with his thumb. Elena's legs nearly buckled underneath her from the pleasure of his actions, and a small moan emitted from her lips. Then she felt Damon's warm breath on her ear, a sensation which caused her to roll her eyes into the back of her head. She knew he was tormenting her, yet she never wanted him to stop.

"Okay Elena." Damon whispered into her ear. "I agree to your terms. We'll do this your way." he said with a twinge of sadness in his voice.

 **Sorry for being such a tease, I couldn't help it, but it was the best place for me to stop.**

 **Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. They are always appreciated.**

 **If you like the story, please like, follow or review. Reviews inspire me, correct my mistakes, allow me to engage and answer questions. They also help motivate me to get the following chapters out quicker.**

 **Mandzipop.**


	3. Third Time's a Loophole

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to The Vampire Diaries, TV show or books. However I decided to have a little play around with the characters (I would definitely like to play with Damon).**

 **Sorry for the slight delay, but Open Office keeps crashing on me and I keep losing what I've written since I last saved my work.**

 **I hope you enjoy the penultimate chapter.**

 **Warning for explicit sexual content.**

Suddenly Damon's hands were no longer on her body. Elena looked around, she was still alone in the shower. Confusion took hold, was this how a vampire would dream, some sort of hallucination as a result of her feelings and deep desires for Damon, or had he compelled her in Chicago? Elena tried to think about what happened after they'd seen Stefan. All she could remember was getting in the car and telling Damon to drive them home, and then she fell asleep in the car. When she woke, she was still in the same dress she'd worn when she met Stefan, which meant it had to be some kind of weird freaky dream. However, what she couldn't understand was why she had felt his hands on her body.

Elena took a deep breath and reached out to grab the soap, but she stopped as she felt him behind her once more.

"Damon?" she whispered.

"Still here if you want me to be." Damon replied with a hint of trepidation.

A little voice in Elena's head told her not to fight what she was experiencing. To let it in and discover the full truth of her dreams. All she had to do was relax and find out what happened that night on the way back from Chicago.

"Yes." Elena swallowed nervously knowing there was no turning back now. If something really had happened between Damon and her, she was about to discover all of the sordid details, even though, through her dreams ever since, she already had a fair idea of what happened, however the details were often sketchy. She was just glad the water was running, so Stefan couldn't hear what was happening downstairs in the kitchen.

Damon's hands were once again on Elena's body as he took the soap and began to wash her. First her back, then her arms, his hands made their way down her hips, softly massaging her skin along the way. Elena closed her eyes, she could get used to this way of showering. For his part, Damon's hands were gentle, knowing the exact pressure points on her body, which allowed him to combine the washing with a relaxing massage. Elena almost lost sight of the reason they were stood in the shower together, and who was the one making her body tingle and feel so calm and relaxed.

The forgetfulness didn't last long as once Damon had finished with her back her turned her around. He looked at her with a gentleness she'd never seen before in him. His eyes were no longer icy blue, instead they were lit up like a warm summer's day. His skin was slightly flush pink from the heat of the shower, which made him look younger somehow. Damon's raven hair was slick back and even inkier black than usual. It had never occurred to Elena whether Damon would have looked any different when he was human. However she now had her answer, his appearance was softer, warmer, with an air of gentleness which was probably the last word she'd have ever considered using to describe Damon.

Elena had never actually shared a shower with a man before. Stefan had tried to talk her into it on numerous occasions, but she'd always turned him down, as the thought had made her feel self-conscious and uncomfortable. Therefore with Damon it should have been even worse, yet instead she felt completely at ease with him, as if this were the most natural thing for them in the world. She could feel his love for her washing over her like the water pouring from the faucet down upon them.

Damon stepped closer so that their bodies were pressed together. Elena could feel his erection pressed into her stomach, which for the first time reminded her of what they were doing. Her eyes hadn't traveled over his naked body, because once they did, she knew their relationship would change forever, and Elena wanted to hang onto that last moment of a platonic friendship she cherished more than she cared to admit, because although Damon had already had his hands all over her naked body, it hadn't felt entirely sexual. Now that they were looking at each other, and their naked skin was connected, the intimacy had turned up a notch. Elena's heart raced and her stomach began to flip as she started to feel nervous.

Damon must have sensed her trepidation, as he did the one thing which always seemed to calm her down, he stroked her face and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He rested his forehead against hers, which seemed to calm her a little more.

"I'm just as nervous as you are Elena." Damon whispered softly. "I've never made love to a woman before. It was always just sex. But with you, it could never be that. You mean too much to me." he said, which made Elena's heart melt as he gradually lowered his mouth to hers.

Initially their lips tentatively brushed together, as if unsure of what the other wanted. However the moment their mouths connected, it felt like a bolt of electricity running throughout her body. After the initial touch, instinct took over. Elena wrapped her arms tightly around Damon's neck, as if she were scared of ever letting him go again. They began to discover each other's mouths for the first time. Exploring every ridge and crevice; the taste and feel of one another. Although there was a sense of newness about kissing him, there was also a strange familiarity. She knew she hadn't kissed him before, but the feeling was like putting on a pair of shoes which had been made to give maximum comfort for her and her alone. It was as if they were made for one another.

As they devoured one another, Elena's body seemed to have a mind of its own. She stepped back until her body hit the cold wet tiles behind her, however Damon managed to cushion her back as he wrapped his arm around her waist. His body was still pressed up against hers as she began to move her hips against his as if some magical force were controlling them. Damon bent his legs slightly and lifted one of hers so it was level with his hips. As they moved their bodies in sync, Elena could feel Damon's erection rubbing up against her nub, the friction sending small jolts of pleasure around her body, while gradually heating her core and the pit of her stomach. Elena moaned with pleasure as she scraped the back of Damon's neck with her fingernails, her own way of telling how good he was making her feel.

Suddenly Damon's mouth left hers and his lips made their way down her jaw and to her neck. A shiver went down her spine as she began to wonder what it would feel like if he bit her. As if he could read her thoughts, he scraped his blunt teeth down her carotid artery and gave a gentle suck on the skin. However Elena wanted his mouth on hers for a little longer. She'd waited a lifetime to be kissed like this, and she wasn't about to let him stop, even if it were to kiss other parts of her body.

Elena lifted Damon's head up to look at her. They stared at each other for a moment, no words were needed as they were both asking the same question; how could two people be so perfect together? They looked at each other trying to search for the answers, but none could be found, instead their lips crashed together once more. This time with confidence, passion and a little more force. Elena had never felt so much wanton need and desire run through her body before. It was enough to make her forget about her problems, Klaus, Stefan, the deaths of her loved ones. Instead all she knew was Damon, the way he was making her feel just by his touch and his kisses. Elena had gone from being a teenager into a woman in the space of minutes.

Once again Damon's mouth left Elena's and made its way along her jaw and down her neck. Again she felt the need for him to bite her, although she had no idea why she wanted to try it so much, maybe their earlier conversation in the bar and idle curiosity were her only rational thoughts. However clearly her mind must have been taken over by her passionate desires because the next thing she did almost floored her with surprise.

"Bite me." she whispered, as Damon stopped and looked up at her carefully.

"Are you sure you want me to?" he frowned.

"Does it hurt?" Elena asked.

"A little at first. More if you're scared." Damon admitted. "But I admit it's worth it." he smiled.

"Will you be gentle?" Elena asked.

"I wouldn't want to hurt you." Damon told her. "And even though I know how good it will make you feel, my only concern is that I will hurt you a little at first." he cast his eyes down.

"So do it!" Elena said defiantly. "I want to know what it was that lured you into the trap of wanting to be a vampire.

"Love lured me Elena." Damon said sadly. "Yes, being bitten is hot, but it doesn't make you love someone any more." he told her wisely.

"Well this is the only chance I'll ever get to make up my own mind." Elena said defiantly. "We better make the most of it." she said.

"Maybe, maybe not. We'll see." Damon replied cryptically. "Turn around, that's if you really want this Elena." he said as Elena did as she was told so her back was once again flush up against Damon's chest. "Just promise me, if I ask you to drink my blood, you will," he demanded. "We can't have you wandering around Mystic Falls with two holes in your neck. People would ask questions about where they came from. Questions you won't be able to answer as you'll be compelled to forget, well sort of." he continued.

"I will." Elena agreed, as she frowned about the compulsion part. She knew he was going to compel her to forget, she'd asked him to, but it sounded like there was going to be a loophole. Maybe there would be a way for her to get her memory of the night back. Elena hoped so as this wasn't something she'd want to forget. So far, just their few minutes in the shower had been the most erotic few minutes of her entire life. Now they were about to take it a step further, and there was a possibility she may one day want to remember everything.

Damon's hands once more roamed Elena's body. He tucked her hair around one side of her neck, exposing the other side. He began to massage her nub once more until she was writhing with pleasure, the heat inside her building up as he used precisely the right amount of pressure in the right places to have her teetering on the edge of her release, yet not quite enough for her to succumb to it. Damon then upped the ante as he dipped two fingers inside her while he continued to pepper kisses down her neck.

"Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall." Damon whispered into her ear as he wrapped one arm around Elena's hip to help steady her."Ready?" he asked, but before she could answer she felt the sharp pricks of his fangs enter her neck. The moment he took his first pull of blood, it sent shock-waves of heat through her veins until they reached her already overly heated core and her body could no longer take any more.

"Oh my god...Damon..." she cried, as her inside walls contracted around his fingers, and her orgasm began to rage through her body. Her body went ridged as she arched her back away from Damon and pressed her hips against his. All the while Damon continued to feed from her, stroke her inner walls and massage her nub until her release began to slowly abate.

Simultaneously, Damon removed his fingers from her core and his teeth from her neck. She heard a noise behind her and suddenly saw Damon's bloody wrist in front of her, urging her to drink. Unlike normal, Elena had no hesitation to take his blood. She knew she couldn't let people see the bite marks on her neck as they'd think she'd received them in malice. Elena herself wouldn't even know where they were from. She lifted his wrist to her mouth and began to suck on the fast closing wound he'd given himself. Instead of tasting like blood, it tasted of Damon himself, or what seemed to be the essence of him. Bourbon, leather, spicy and seductive. Elena sucked hungrily against his wrist, however, much to Elena's dismay, the wound soon closed as a result of vampire healing.

Once she'd finished, Elena turned to face Damon. They kissed once more as he pushed her back up against the walls of the tiles. This time however, his mouth made its way down Elena's body. His lips nipped and kissed her neck and chest as he got lower until he reached her breasts.

"God you're beautiful." he murmured as he took one of her breasts and circled his tongue around her areola. He then took her nipple into his mouth and began to firstly suck on it, then gently taking it gently between his teeth, causing it to pebble as Elena moaned with pleasure.

Damon took the other nipple between his fingers and pinched it, causing Elena to wince a in little pain, yet at the same time it felt incredible. Elena looked down on Damon, who had switched breasts, she couldn't help but think how erotic the sight of him licking and sucking her breasts was, causing heat to begin to pool once more in the pit of her stomach.

Finally Damon must have decided that her breasts had received enough attention. Damon began to lace kisses down her stomach, until he reached her his destination. He was down on his knees his head in line with Elena's hips. Damon ran a finger along her slit, before parting her folds slightly. Once he'd done he placed his finger in his mouth and sucked her juices from it.

"Delicious." he grinned once he'd finished. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to taste you." he said causing Elena to laugh nervously. This was new territory for her, but she wasn't going to let Damon know that. Elena had always felt too self conscious to do anything like this, but Damon clearly wanted to, and for some reason she felt like she was getting swept away with what he wanted to do, and Elena was just in it for the ride, even though it had been her idea in the first place. She decided whatever happened was okay by her. She wouldn't remember what happened, but Damon would, and Elena wanted to give him wonderful memories of this night.

However that thought didn't last long as Damon spread her legs further apart to allow him greater access for what he was about to do next. Elena looked down and her eyes met his, seeking permission for what he was about to do next. When she nodded her head, his icy blue eyes lit up with such a look of joy, it caused Elena's heart to beat a little faster. Elena knew she could trust him, for no matter how much Damon was the devil incarnate; his reputation for being a god with his mouth preceded him. Even to this day, Caroline would still reluctantly agree nobody came even remotely close to Damon in regards to his oral skills. And as Elena had already discovered, if kissing him was any indication, then his reputation was completely justified.

That thought didn't last long, as Elena was brought back to her senses as soon as she felt Damon follow the same path with his tongue. Once again Damon stroked her folds with his fingers, but this time he parted them and blew into the entrance of her core. His lips replaced his finger, slowly tracing a line up to her nub and circling it before returning to her entrance before his tongue entered her. Heat like she never thought possible ran through her body while his tongue probed her core as he used it to make love to her. Elena soon began to moan with pleasure as heat began pooling in the pit of Elena's stomach while his tongue actions increased the throbbing in her core.

It seemed to be mere seconds before Damon was building her up to what she thought was going to be another exploding point, when suddenly Damon stopped what he was doing. His lips attached themselves to her nub and he began to suck on is while he inserted two fingers inside her and gently began pump gently as his mouth paid close attention to her clit. Elena gripped hold of Damon's hair with both hands, she needed something to ground her and there was nothing else within reach.

Elena knew she was about to fall over the edge. The heat building up in her core, combined with the intensity of the throbbing, which was now on the verge of turning into the white hot contractions, signaled the onset of an extremely powerful orgasm. Unbelievably, Damon must have recognized she was about to come as he inserted a third finger inside her and increased the pace of his thrusting. Finally the spasms in her core exploded, and sensations began to send Elena spiraling into orbit, the orgasm was ripping through her body unlike any other she'd experienced before. Instead of concentrating on her inner walls, it seemed to be attacking her entire body, and the contractions in her boiling hot core seemed to go on forever.

"Oh my god...Damon...Aargh!" Elena cried out as quietly as she could as she arched her back away from the wall, pulling Damon's head in closer as if she needed more, of what she didn't know because she'd lost the ability to think or speak. Her body went rigid as Damon stopped what he was doing and held onto her more tightly as her legs began to turn to jello. Elena glanced down at him and saw him looking back up at her. His eyes full of adoration, love and lust. He was putting her needs first above his own, yet he seemed to be enjoying giving her pleasure almost as much as she did, although him stopping did make her whimper in disappointment. Damon gave her a knowing look, as if that was what he'd hoped her reaction would be to him stopping.

"You taste wonderful." he whispered seductively. Elena was shocked at herself because she found Damon talking dirty very erotic.

"Damon, please." she begged, not knowing what else to say.

"You want more?" Damon asked, to which Elena nodded profusely. "Fine. You just relax and enjoy the ride, I know I am." he smirked as he started to kiss her stomach, gradually making his way back up her body with his lips, while Elena managed to get her breathing back under control.

Damon kissed her passionately, allowing her to taste herself on his lips, which was surprisingly erotic, while he moved his length between her legs, coating himself in her juices and creating enough friction against her nub for the throbbing to begin to build up once again, but Elena had other ideas. She stopped for a moment to drink him in, he body was perfection. However her eyes were drawn to his shaft, which was already swollen with desire. The sight of it hard and erect, sent heat pooling to Elena's stomach. She couldn't believe the sight of a naked man could affect her so much. But Damon wasn't just any man, he was the personification of sex, and Elena would shortly find out if he lived up to his reputation. In the meantime, it was her turn to give him pleasure.

Elena ran her hand up and down his shaft for a moment, causing him to moan his with pleasure. She took charge and pushed him up against the wall like he had done to her only a few moments earlier. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but allowed Elena to take the lead. Deciding she wanted to taste him, Elena got down on her knees and took Damon's shaft in her hands and stroked it once more. She'd never given a man oral sex before, it wasn't something that had appealed to her until today. But every inch of Damon's body cried out to be kissed, licked and touched, and Elena was desperate to taste him. However there was no hiding her nerves. Elena looked up at Damon through here eyelashes.

"I've never done this before." she admitted shyly.

"You don't have to do it." Damon shook his head.

"But I want to." Elena said. "I want to taste you and give you pleasure." she smiled nervously.

"Just do what you think you should do Elena." Damon told her. "You will know if you're getting it right." he nodded.

Elena nodded back as she noticed the pre-cum seeping through the tip. Elena gently took hold of his length in her fingers and wiped the fluid around it's swollen head, causing Damon's eyes to roll and him place his hands either side of her head to steady himself. His moans of pleasure soon became her new favorite sound in the world, and gave Elena a small sense of satisfaction in the knowledge she could have this much power over Damon. Once he'd regained his composure, she wrapped her lips around his shaft and swirled her tongue around his tip, tasting the saltiness of his pre-cum. She'd expected it to be unpleasant, but because she was overwhelmed with his scent and the clean taste of Damon himself, she was surprised by how erotic it was, especially when she heard Damon continue to moan with pleasure. Elena looked up at him as she opened her gag reflex to allow her to take more of his huge length into her mouth. She began to set a rhythm while at the same time using her hand to pump him at the base of his shaft. Suddenly Elena felt Damon's fingers running through her hair and his breathing getting faster, Damon's way of telling Elena she was doing it right.

This gave Elena a huge confidence boost, therefore she became a little more adventurous. She used her other hand to massage his balls as she upped the pace of her strokes. She used the flat of her tongue on the underside of his length while she took him in her mouth at different angles. All the time, Elena felt Damon getting harder in her mouth.

"Fuck Elena...you...you need to stop." Damon panted, pulling away much to Elena's dismay as she looked up at him. "You're a little too good at it. If you carry on like that, we won't get to the best bit." he growled as he helped Elena to her feet as she realized what he meant.

"Okay." she said shyly, smiling as Damon took charge once more and pressed her back up against the wall before running his fingers along her folds.

"Good, you're still nice and wet." he grinned as he bent his knees slightly and rubbed his length over Elena's folds, coating his member in her juices. He lifted one of her legs around his waist. "You ready?" he asked as Elena nodded in nervous anticipation.

Damon lined himself up at Elena's entrance and gradually pushed himself inside her. His size almost took her breath away as he slowly filled her and stretched her, while he kept penetrating deeper. He placed one hand on her behind, pulling her down on him while the other was wrapped securely around her waist. Elena fed her fingers through Damon's now very messy, wet hair and clung onto his neck to hold her steady. Finally Damon began to move his hips, to which Elena synchronized her hips with his movements.

"God you're so tight and wet." Damon moaned as he kissed Elena fully on the lips.

As soon as their lips met, Elena once more became completely absorbed in everything that was Damon. She craved his taste, his scent, his touch, the way he felt and the sound of his voice as he moaned every time they moved in unison. Damon lifted Elena's other leg and hooked it over his arm, as his movements slowed slightly to accommodate for the change in position. He pulled away from the kiss and repeated the action with the leg which had been previously wrapped around his waist. Damon pushed her back flat up against the wall and held her thighs, spread wide apart up against her chest. Damon was now balancing her by holding her ass cheeks, while she kept her arms wrapped securely round his neck. He stood up straight and lowered his forehead to hers and gazed deep into her eyes. Without a word of warning he thrust into her deeply and quickly. The sensations were electrifying. Every time Damon moved he brushed up against her clit, stimulating her, bringing her ever closer to the precipice. His thrusting left Elena breathless, she'd never experienced anything remotely rough before, only plain missionary. She'd never realized she was missing out on so much more.

"Oh my god...Damon." Elena moaned. "Oh yes...that feels good." she panted as she tried to move her hips, but Damon was literally pounding in and out of her, leaving her unable to do anything.

"You like that?" Damon whispered into Elena's ear.

"Yes." Elena replied quietly.

"God you're perfect." Damon moaned as he increased the pace of his thrusts.

"Yes...yes...yes...yes..." Elena cried, as pleasure was once again beginning to overwhelm her body, and if Damon allowed her, she was about to burst.

"I want to hear you scream my name." Damon panted as he slid his hand between them and began to massage her nub, once more tipping Elena over the edge or her release.

"Oh my god...Damon...Damon...yes...yes...Damon aargh." Elena cried as he continued to thrust in and out of her, his fingers working their magic as Elena thought she saw stars. The heat inside her exploded and spasms rocked her from the inside, her back arched as she pushed herself onto Damon's member, maximizing the penetration. Damon placed his fingers in Elena's mouth, which she promptly bit as her orgasm ran through her body like a tidal wave of pleasure washing over her body.

Once Elena's orgasm slowed, Damon pulled out of her and her entire world seemed to tilt on its axis. One moment she was up against the cold tiles of the shower wall, the next she was lying down on one of the beds, with Damon hovering above, his hands either side of her head, smiling down at her.

Damon lowered his head and initially kissed her, before his mouth moved south and he began to lick and nip at Elena's neck. She could feel he was as hard as steel and ready for her once more as his erection was pressed up against her stomach. Damon continued to hover above her as he gently, ghosting his hand down the side of her body before he slid his member inside her. Still highly sensitive from her earlier orgasm, Elena cried out in pleasure. Initially Damon pulled out slowly, before pushing back inside her, his eyes never leaving hers, always checking she was okay. Elena nodded her head and pulled her leg up to let him know what she wanted, which for deeper penetration. Satisfied she was comfortable, Damon began to move and Elena followed his lead as their hips began to work in synchronized unison.

One of Elena's hands roamed down Damon's back and cupped his ass cheek with the other as he thrust in and out of her. All the while Damon stroked her body with his free hand. They kissed frantically, as if molded into one being, their tongues dancing, their teeth gently biting each other's lips.

This was different to what had come before. What happened in the shower had been slightly rough, and for Elena, adventurous sex. On the other hand, this was making love at it's finest. Not just physically, but emotionally, because for the first time in her life, Elena felt a sense of home. She realized this was where she belonged, in the arms of Damon, because he would be the only one to ever make her feel truly loved in such a special way. He was her demonic hero who would move heaven and earth for her if he had to. And deep down Elena knew all she had ever wanted was her own hero, to rescue her in some way, and tonight Damon was making it evident how he could rescue her in more ways than one. In response to her train of thought, heat started to burn deeply in her stomach, as she realized she was heading for another orgasm. To make her point clear she began thrusting harder, forcing Damon to up the pace.

"Fuck...Elena...yes...yes...fuck..." Damon moaned. "I'm not going to be able to hold on much longer." he growled.

"More." Elena begged as Damon's hand slid between them and he began to massage Elena's over sensitive clit.

"I'm gonna come." Damon panted.

"Me too." Elena moaned as his words seemed to trigger her own orgasm. Spasms ripped through Elena's body as she cried out in ecstasy. The force of the orgasm forced her to arch her back before her entire body went rigid as the contractions took over her body in waves of pleasure. "Oh yes...yes...yes...oh...yes...oh yes...Damon...ahh" Elena cried, tears rolling down her cheeks with the overwhelming sensation of pleasure and belonging.

Elena's orgasm seemed to trigger Damon's own release. "Oh god...yes...fuck...yes...Elena..." he cried, as Elena caught a glimpse of his face, which scrunched up andtook on an expression of blissful agony, all the while, her contractions continued to milk the seed from his member. Soon she felt his warm fluids fill her body, giving Elena a sense of deep satisfaction. Much more than she ever thought possible.

Initially Damon rested his head in the crook of Elena's neck, as he gently collapsed on top of her, while his softened member was still buried deep inside her. Elena relished his weight on top of her body, it made their actions seem so real, so human.

"Just a little longer?" Damon whispered. "I never want to forget this moment." he said as he laced his fingers through hers, clearly not wanting to let go of her so soon.

"Me neither." Elena said, looking at him as they began to kiss.

They knew they couldn't lie like that forever, and eventually Damon pulled out of her and rolled over onto his back. He pulled the sheets from the bed over them as they slowly came down from their passion filled high.

Elena lay with her head on Damon's chest, listening to the slow thumping of his vampire heart, while she drew lines across his chest. A sense of happiness and contentment washed over her like she'd never experienced before. Damon's arm was wrapped around her protectively, making her feel safe from all of the evil monsters in the world, which was ironic as he himself could be placed into that category to those he didn't care about. However Elena knew he loved her and would give his life for her. It had taken a lot for him to do what they had done, with the knowledge that he would be compelling away Elena's memory of what had happened between them. In its own way, it was another notch of rejection for Damon, Elena wanted him, but didn't want him at the same time. Their act had for both of them, could be described as selfish and selfless at the same time. Only the future could tell which one of them it was.

They'd agreed she would get her the memory back if the time was right, although how they would know when that time would be, indeed if it ever happened, was a topic neither of them wanted to discuss. Elena suspected it meant if they were in a relationship of some type, but she was confused how that could ever happen. Her feelings for Damon would need to intensify, and Damon would have to calm down a lot before it was ever a consideration on her part, something she could never see happening. There was also the other issue of becoming involved, yet again with a vampire. If she wanted children, being with a vampire wouldn't be practical. Also she would grow old and he wouldn't. Elena wasn't sure if she wanted to go through the heartbreak twice.

Damon must have realized she was deep in thought as he started to stroke her hair. "What's going around in that beautiful head of yours?" he asked.

"I was just wondering what your compulsion will be and how we'd know when the time is right for me to know about what just happened." Elena replied sadly.

"It'll be how you know." Damon corrected her before moving to sit up. "Come here." he instructed as Elena did as she was told.

"You're not doing it now are you?" she asked, fear in her voice. "I don't want to leave just yet." she frowned.

"Don't worry, you won't forget just yet." Damon assured her with a smile, however it quickly disappeared. "When I have finished telling you this, you will forget I compelled you." he told her. "When we get in the car, you will go straight to sleep and forget everything that happened tonight. You will only remember Stefan breaking up with you, telling me to drive you home and then falling asleep. However the memory can come back to you as a dream, but this will only happen if..."

 **I guess the question is 'What was Damon's exact compulsion? And how come she can remember parts of it in her dreams?'**

 **Thank you to those who have left reviews, which have so far all been wonderful. They are always appreciated.**

 **If you like this story, please like, follow or review. Reviews inspire me, correct my mistakes, allow me to engage and answer questions. They also help motivate me to get the following chapters out quicker.**

 **Mandzipop.**


	4. That's Why I Started to Remember

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to The Vampire Diaries, TV show or books. However I decided to have a little play around with the characters (I would definitely like to play with Damon).**

 ** **I have been overwhelmed by the overall response to this story, it has really been a pleasant surprise.****

 **This is the final chapter. It is much shorter than the others as it is just to wrap things up. It's more of an epilogue. There's more of an explanation regarding why I chose this ending at the end.**

Elena was suddenly back in her own shower in her own bathroom which she shared with Jeremy. She looked around but Damon wasn't there. Elena wondered how long she'd been in the shower, when she looked down and saw her fingers were beginning to prune from the amount of time she'd been stood there. Not only that but she hot water had run cold. Shivering, she turned the shower off, grabbed her towel and got out. Elena wiped the steam away from the bathroom mirror and looked carefully at herself in the mirror as she recalled the wording of Damon's compulsion.

"Son of a bitch!" she swore to herself in a low voice. "What a devious compulsion. Just wait until I next see him alone." she said angrily.

Elena didn't get to see Damon until later that night. In the meantime, she and Stefan had been kidnapped, along with Rebekah, by Pastor Young. They'd been taken to his ranch and imprisoned in the barn which had vervain filtered through the air vents. Elena had only just managed to feed in time to complete the transition. It had taken the combined efforts of Stefan, and a surprising piece of assistance from Rebekah, to kill a guard and for her to have a taste of his blood. Bonnie hadn't managed to find a way to save her, which had led to the inevitable decision, although Elena suspected Bonnie had tried, but failed.

Once Stefan had killed the guard, they were able to start to make their escape, and fortunately there was a commotion outside, which with Elena's new vampire hearing, she could tell was being created by Damon. This was clearly a diversion tactic, which worked. However, Damon had brought Matt with him, and Damon was in a dangerous mood, which meant Matt was in a precarious situation. His next actions and words confirmed her suspicions.

Elena saw Damon in the distance walking over to Matt who was crawling around on the floor in pain, and coughing before Damon kicked him hard in the ribs.

"Go ahead and kill me." Matt sneered. "You can't possibly hate me more than I hate myself." he said, lowering his voice in a way Matt always did when he was angry with himself.

"Oh, yes I can." Damon growled as Elena saw him put his foot on Matt's throat and what looked like him pressing down. "It should have been you." Damon scowled, with a rage in his eyes Elena had rarely seen.

Elena wasn't going to let Matt die after her becoming a vampire to save him, it would make her sacrifice worthless, even though Damon didn't see it that way. Plus Elena loved Matt, even though it was only in a platonic fashion. There was a reason she'd wanted him to survive in the first place, and there was no way she was going to let him die at the hands of Damon. She knew only she could stop Damon from killing her childhood friend.

Anger course through her veins and she could feel the veins around her eyes tickle, her fangs pushing through; but that was the least of her worries, she had to save Matt. Elena ran at Damon with such speed she surprised herself, and pushed Damon with all of her might, knocking him off of Matt and straddled his hips, pinning him to the ground.

"Leave him alone!" Elena growled at a surprised looking Damon; which allowed Matt to scuttle off and away from their fight.

Once Elena was happy Matt was far enough away from them and Damon had calmed down a little, she got off, realizing the awkwardness of their position, considering their secret past. Elena stood up and held her hand out to Damon who ignored her help and got to his feet by himself. Once up, they started to walk away from the house and towards Damon's car.

"You were gonna kill him." Elena stated through gritted teeth.

"Yep." Damon admitted. "Guy just won't die." he said sarcastically.

Elena turned and faced Damon. "It was my choice to save him." she insisted, anger radiating from her. "Why aren't you seeing that?" she cried.

"It's a little hard to keep track of all your choices lately, Elena." Damon sneered and began to walk away.

Elena knew they couldn't leave their conversation at that point. She'd promised herself she would confront him as soon as she saw him about the compulsion, and as there was nobody around, this was as good a time as any for her to talk to him.

"I remember everything." she called out as Damon stopped dead in his tracks. "One of the highlights of my transition: remembering everything that you compelled me to forget." Elena snapped, still angry with Damon for not only trying to kill Matt, but compelling her. She wanted to hear what he had to say for himself so she could start to forgive him.

As soon as he heard her revelation, he walked back over to her, clearly waiting for what she had to say about the incidents.

"Like how you and I met first." Elena said softly. "You were a stranger that told me you wanted me to get everything I wanted from life. Damon, why didn't you tell me?" she shook her head sadly.

"Would it have made a difference?" Damon asked as Elena said nothing, not wanting to admit she had lied to him by saying it was because she'd met Stefan first. In truth she couldn't tell him how she felt, because she didn't know herself. "I didn't think so." Damon scowled and looked away from her.

"You asked me to make a choice, Damon. So I did." Elena told him defiantly. "If you're gonna be mad, then take it out on me. Not on Stefan or Matt or anyone else. Me!" she insisted.

"Are we done here?" Damon asked as if he wanted to be as far away from Elena as possible, and knowing what one of those times he'd compelled her entailed, she wasn't entirely surprised, however it needed getting out in the open.

"If it had been you at the bridge last night and not Stefan and I begged you to save Matt...?" Elena asked, although she already knew the answer. Other than potentially Stefan, Damon would never put anyone's life above hers.

"I would have saved you! In a heartbeat, no question." Damon said instantly.

"That's what I thought." Elena nodded, as she did her best to stop the tears of anger from flowing. "And then Matt would be dead, because you couldn't let go. Matt would be dead!" she shouted.

"But you wouldn't be!" Damon frowned. "And you would have gotten to grow up and had the life that you wanted; the life that you deserved. And I know that I didn't use to get that but I do now and I wanted that for you, Elena, and I would have gladly have given it to you and let Matt die; because I am that selfish." he said softly, however his face changed and so did the tone of his voice. "But you knew that already. The first night we met is not all that you remember." he said sarcastically.

"You mean when we came back from Chicago?" Elena asked. "Or the night you told me you loved me?"

"Was Chicago selfish?" Damon frowned. "Is that how you see it?" he asked.

"You mean compelling me to forget what happened unless I was in love with you?" Elena growled in a low voice, as she didn't want Stefan or Rebekah to hear this conversation. "What exactly were you trying to achieve Damon? Were you waiting for the moment I started to act nervous around you because I was having erotic dreams about you?" she asked.

Damon lowered his eyes and nodded. "I guess deep down I knew you would never choose me." Damon sighed. "I knew you didn't love me because you never said anything about the dreams. I guess I'm just angry you lied about the part when you told me things might have been different if you'd met me first, instead of just telling me the truth. Because I knew the truth." he looked away from her. "How do you think I felt knowing what I did?" he asked.

"I'm sorry I lied to you Damon." Elena said softly. "But regarding how I felt about you, well that is where you are wrong." Elena shook her head. "You should have been a little more careful with the wording of your compulsions in future. Let me remind you of exactly what you said when you compelled me, word for word considering it is still so fresh in my mind." she said sarcastically as she glared at him.

" _When I have finished telling you this, you will forget I compelled you. When we get in the car, you will go straight to sleep and forget everything that happened tonight. You will only remember Stefan breaking up with you, telling me to drive you home and then falling asleep. However the memory can come back to you as a dream, but this will only happen if you fall in love with me. Repeat after me._ " Elena raised an eyebrow. "Which I did." she said. "But you added an extra compulsion Damon. You said; _'You will forget having sex with me.'_ " she folded her arms. "And you stressed the word _me_. So even though I remembered in my dreams what happened at the motel. Your face was a blur because you told me to forget having sex with _you_. I didn't know who I was having sex with in my dreams, you were just some mystery man, who I assumed was Stefan." she shrugged. "Remember, I had to experience that entire compulsion this morning while I was in the shower. All I can say is it was a good job I was alone, because I felt everything." she frowned.

"I hope you enjoyed it." Damon smirked. "If I remember right, you did the first time around." he said as Elena glared at him angrily.

"It appears my first lesson of compulsion is to be very careful how I word what I tell people, because otherwise it could come back to haunt me." she said sarcastically while looking back over to the barn where Stefan was emerging with Matt. Elena lowered her voice. "And for all of our sake's, I don't think this is topic of conversation should ever be discussed again." And with that Elena stormed off, leaving a stunned looking Damon in her wake. However once he regained his composure he chased after.

"So this changes nothing?" Damon asked. "Even though you know why I compelled you and why you remembered, it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference?" he said in a low voice. "Are you sorry it happened?" he whispered.

"I made my choice Damon. And like I said, no matter what my feelings for you are, or were, I still love Stefan." she said defiantly. "So it makes no difference how I feel about it now!"

"You asked _me_ to compel _you_ to forget, remember?" Damon scowled. "So don't blame all of this on me." he pointing to himself. "You had your own part to play in all of this. And you clearly had the dreams. How long has that been happening?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" Elena raised an eyebrow, not daring to tell him it had been almost every night since Chicago. It would only make matters worse.

"To me yes!" Damon snapped.

"Why?" Elena asked. "You'll just beat yourself up over it. Regret what you did. Like you always do Damon. You'll want to hurt someone, or something, like Matt, when you only have yourself to blame. Because no matter what my feelings are for you, that is what you always do." she folded her arms, hoping the conversation was over.

"Are you still _in love_ with Stefan?" Damon asked, who had different ideas.

"What do you think?" Elena replied.

"I think your choices have been a little questionable lately." Damon whispered as he stood close to her. "I also think your emotions are heightened right now. Everything is a little overwhelming and you are angry with me. And I get that." he said. "I'm not saying you're going to change your mind, I know you probably won't because you're too stubborn." he continued with a hint of sadness in his voice. "But vampires have heightened emotions and needs. Just bear that in mind if you decide to break my brother's heart. Don't get his hopes up too high until you're absolutely sure you made the right choice."

And with that Damon headed back to his car, got in and slammed the door, leaving Elena standing alone and confused, even though, deep down she knew he was right. She was going to have to see how things played out until she got her emotions in check, and in the meantime she needed to be careful what she said. But for now, she was going to have to fix things with Damon, though she'd need to calm down first.

A few hours later, just before sunrise, she and Stefan were sat on top of the roof of the boarding house. Stefan was trying to put a positive spin on her becoming a vampire, despite her never wanting it. She appreciated the gesture, so she decided to join in.

"But I'll get to live." Elena smiled as she put her arm on Stefan's shoulder. "I'll be a sister and a friend and I'll be with you. Forever..." she started when suddenly Damon's words ran through her mind, warning her not to get Stefan's hopes up about the future of their relationship. Therefore Elena decided to add a caveat to her speech. "If I want." she said, knowing there was a strong possibility she wouldn't.

Now that the compulsion was lifted, Elena expected the dreams to disappear. Instead they were there almost every night. But this time they were more vivid because she knew who the man in the shower was. As every day progressed, she became more and more desperate to feel his hands on her once more. Just to be in his arms would be enough. Every time there had been an opportunity for them to be physically close, she took it. Her relationship with Stefan was gradually deteriorating. They hadn't even managed to have sex since she'd turned. Every time they tried something went wrong. Elena decided this was probably a good thing as there was a possibility she may have ended up calling out Damon's name instead of Stefan's.

Elena's hints eventually clued Stefan into realizing Elena's true feelings. Less than three weeks after becoming a vampire she and Stefan broke up. Stefan initiated the split, and made it clear he knew about her feelings for Damon. The split spelled a mixture of relief and sadness in Elena. Relief in the fact she could be with the man she truly loved, and had been in love with for a very long time, but sadness that the epic love she and Stefan had shared wasn't meant to be. Stefan was the one to help her come to terms with her parents deaths, to learn how to live again. Damon would be the one to make her feel alive.

Two days after breaking up with Stefan, Elena was in the parlor of the boarding house, dancing with Damon in front of the fire. Their time had come, unlike their trip to Chicago, they were ready for one another. Although the timing was once again almost immediately after Stefan and Elena breaking up, this time was for her and Damon to start their future together. This was the first day of the rest of their lives together, which could last for all eternity, and even then, eternity still wasn't long enough in Elena's opinion. This was what went through Elena's mind as they rested their heads together while swaying to the crackling sound of the fire. Elena was finally home and in the arms of the man she loved, and she was never going to let him go.

 **I chose to wrap the story up like this as my intention was to only tinker with background information, yet let the rest of the story play out as it already is. For those who wanted a happy ending, I never intended to change their ending as Delena eventually got a happy ending. I just wanted to add an extra element to their love story.**

 **Thank you to those of you who have left reviews, which have so far all been wonderful. They are always appreciated and I love you for it.**

 **If you like this story, please like, follow or review. Reviews inspire me, correct my mistakes, allow me to engage and answer questions. They also help motivate me to get the following chapters out quicker.**

 **Mandzipop.**


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